THE quarter-finals of the men's 100m in the world championships were severely disrupted yesterday as Jon Drummond staged a lie-down protest at his disqualification.

THE quarter-finals of the men's 100m in the world championships were severely disrupted yesterday as Jon Drummond staged a lie-down protest at his disqualification.

The American, shown the red card alongside Jamaica's Asafa Powell, contested the decision and lay on the track, refusing to depart.

After several minutes of protests, Drummond stood up and walked along the track, his face contorted with anger and stripped down to his waist.

After exchanging words with an official, he walked back to the starting blocks, making it clear he was intending to run his heat.

The French officials were forced to postpone the heat and brought forward the following one.

The second heat finally resumed, but was delayed again by the crowd's booing with Drummond and Powell both excluded.

Drummond could be seen weeping in the warm-up area while Powell did return to the arena before officials told him he could not race.

Ato Boldon and French sprinter Ronald Pognon urged the crowd to calm down.

Eunice Barber, who was waiting to compete in her last heptathlon event, also appeared on the stadium's main screen begging the spectators to stop booing.

After another 20 minutes of further confusion the race eventually started, 58 minutes after the first heat started, with Boldon, obviously angry, finishing first in 10.09s.

In the other 100m quarter-final heats, world record holder Tim Montgomery defied his critics by qualifying for the semis.

The 28-year-old American, silver medallist behind compatriot Maurice Greene in Edmonton two years ago, won his heat in 10.04s, a personal best for the 2003 season.

Montgomery, the fastest man in the world with 9.78s, experienced his worst season ever which he attributed to his peanut allergy.

Greene, whose form has also been indifferent this season, qualified as well despite finishing third in his heat as Britain's Dwain Chambers finished second.

Darrel Brown of Trinidad and Tobago, the world junior champion, improved the junior world record with a run of 10.01s.

The American team will be looking to win all three medals for the first time in a 400m final after clearly dominating the semi-finals.

Tyree Washington, bronze medallist at the 1997 Athens world championships and 2003 world indoor champion, posted the best time of 44.60s.

His team-mates Calvin Harrison and twice US champion Jerome Young also ran sub-45s with performances of 44.71s and 44.70s respectively.

Washington said, "I was not sure of winning the semi-final, I was actually nervous coming in. I knew I had to run fast.

"I don't care about the time, winning is my only goal. Still I don't consider myself as a favourite, anything can happen out there in the final."

World and Olympic champion Maria Mutola easily progressed to the 800m final after outclassing her rivals in 1:58:45.

The 30-year-old Mozambique athlete faces a challenge in the final from British star Kelly Holmes, the 2002 bronze medallist in the European championships, who made the second best time of the heats with 1:58:86m.

Stephanie Graf from Austria, the 2000 European indoor champion, was the third best qualifier in 1:59:26.

There was irony in the women's triple jump qualifiers where the best jump of the day came from Magdalena Martinez of Italy, who cleared 14.73m.

Watching from the stands was her former Cuban team-mate Yamile Aldama, who missed the championships after failing to have her new British passport ready on time while Martinez was given Italian citizenship three years ago.

Five-time world champion Lars Riedel needed only one throw to progress to the men's discus final tomorrow night.

The German is seeking to equal Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergei Bubka's six world crowns and threw 64.51m yesterday.

Tomorrow he will be in direct competition with Olympic champion, Lithuanian Virgilijus Alekna, who finished top of the qualifiers while European champion Robert Fazekas of Hungary threw 64.44m and grabbed sixth spot.